Someone In The Crowd [Paul Wesley]

131. TVD

Season 6 Episode 6

Willow's head was bleeding and she was beginning to feel woozy. Tripp held her up, before throwing her in the back of the van, alongside Enzo.

"Morning, sunshine," Enzo said.

"What's going on?" Willow asked him. "What are we doing here?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say..." Enzo pretended to think. "He's rounding up all the vampires."

"Why would he be doing that?" she asked. Then she stood slowly and looked out of the small window, trying to see if she could work out where they were going. "Oh my God."

"What?" Enzo asked as the van stopped.

"He's driving us over the border," she said. "A sure-fire way to kill any vampire." They could hear Tripp walking around outside, before the door was wrenched open and Damon was thrown in.

"Please, you can't do this," she said to Tripp. "I'm not a vampire, I shouldn't be here."

Damon groaned.

"If you're not a vampire, then you should have no problem going back into Mystic Falls." Tripp shut them inside and Willow sat, trying not to hyperventilate as Damon woke up.

"What's your problem?" Enzo asked. "If anything, you're the only one that's actually okay right now."

"It's not as simple as that," Willow said breathlessly.

"You're not a vampire," Enzo said. "Crossing the border won't do anything to you."

"You don't understand," Willow said. "I may not be a vampire, but I'm... I'm 150 years old."

Both guys looked at her in shock, like they'd never seen her before.

"What?" Damon croaked.

"The witches. Their magic has been keeping me alive so that I can fulfil their wish and kill the vampires. If I cross that border... I'm dead."

They continued going in silence, before Tripp was stopped. There were murmured voices.

"Who's that?" Willow hissed. "I don't have vamp hearing, remember?"

"Ric," Damon said. "He's up to something. Better be good, bastard owes me."

A fight ensued. Tripp stepped on the gas and crashed into another car on the road, skidding until they were past the border.

A gunshot wound appeared in Damon's chest. Enzo began spitting and coughing up blood. Willow could feel the magic draining from her body. The beating of her heart began getting slower and slower, until she felt like she was suffocating. As the slowed ageing process put in place by the witches began to fade, Willow's organs began to shut down one-by-one, starting with her lungs.

As she was about to pass out, the van doors were wrenched open and Stefan appeared. She couldn't tell if she was hallucinating or if he was real.

"Stefan?" she asked.

He was angry with himself for putting them in this situation, but there was no time for apologies. He pulled them all from the van and tried single-handedly, with his own stomach gunshot wound, to pull them from the van. Using all his strength, he managed to get them over. Damon and Enzo lay on their backs and coughed as their wounds began to heel. However, Willow was still breathing heavily, still trying to stay awake.

"Hey," Stefan said, noticing her and leaning over her. "I didn't come back here just for you to die. Stay with me." He placed a hand on her cheek.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Why does that sound like a 'goodbye'?" he asked, his eyes filling with tears.

"I... love...you...Stefan," she said softly, struggling to get the words out. He nodded, leaning down and kissing her as her breathing stopped completely.

Within seconds, Elena was at the scene with Liv by her side.

"I can save her," Liv said, leaning over Willow's body.

"What do you mean?" Stefan asked.

"All her power came from the witches," Elena explained, as Liv held her hands over Willow's body. "So maybe a witch can give it back."

Everyone waited with baited breath. Finally, after an eternity of waiting, she gasped.

***

"Cut!"

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. After either crying or pretending to be dead, they needed a break.

"I can't believe that's gonna be me soon," Nina said. Cece wrapped an arm around her.

"At least you're not dying," she said. "Maybe you could come back?" she asked hopefully.

"We'll see," Nina said. Coming back to the show was the last thing on her mind.

Suddenly, an overwhelming feeling took over Cece and she rushed away from the crowd. She needed to find the nearest bathroom – asap. The last thing she wanted to do was puke on set.